Akio Hasegawa's interview series "Don't work seriously!! (tentative title) Vol.03 Yuuki Souma Part 2"
This is a serial project in which fashion director and stylist Akio Hasegawa has serious conversations with experts from various fields about their work. Following on from the last time, his partner is Yuuki Soma, director of the food and beverage department of "D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT" and the company that pre-opened the online members-only supermarket "Table to Farm" last fall.
PROFILE
Akio Hasegawa
Akio Hasegawa
Fashion director and stylist. He has been involved in the production of the British magazine "MONOCLE" since its launch and built the foundation for its fashion pages. In 2014, he became the magazine's fashion director. He served as the fashion director of the magazine "POPEYE" from 2012 to the fall of 2018. In 2019, he will launch the fashion web magazine "AH.H" in collaboration with Houyhnhnm, and in 2023, "CAHLUMN" and "andreM hoffwann".
Yuuki Soma
Yuuki Soma
Born in Shiga Prefecture. As the director of the "Tsuduku wo Taberu Club" food and beverage division of "D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT," he travels around Japan to develop menus that utilize local ingredients and food culture, and also plans events. In 2024, he published his first book, "Tsuduku wo Taberu Shokudo," which summarizes his activities in the food industry. On July 25, 2025, he launched the online membership supermarket "Table to Farm."
We had a casual conversation about food at the CAHLUMN STORE in Ochanomizu, the base of the brand CAHLUMN, which Hasegawa directs.
Soma
Soma
We are hoping to officially open and launch on Friday, July 25th, so it is still in the pre-launch stage. Therefore, from July onwards, we will set a limit on the number of members and start accepting applications, while keeping an eye on production volume.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
It's interesting that there are so many different ways to purchase.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
We offer a variety of options, including "urgent purchase" for immediate delivery, or "one-time delivery," "delivery every two weeks," or "delivery every four weeks" with deliveries every two weeks.
Soma
Soma
Basically, we hope that customers will make regular purchases. If customers make a habit of buying eggs once every two weeks or once a month, producers will be able to predict the amount of regular orders. This allows them to have a stable income and make stable production plans, so we are very grateful.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I see.
Soma
Soma
However, more is not always better, and if demand suddenly increases, it can end up causing a strain. I've seen producers who made advance investments because they knew this was coming, and ended up going bankrupt, so it's best for demand to continue to increase gradually. In that sense, a lot of people are now using the "urgent purchase" service.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
I see. The waiting time can be fun, but if you want to try it right away, it's better to do it early. I guess it depends on the circumstances of the kitchen.
Soma
Soma
Also, we now have a system where we ask customers once every two weeks when the next delivery will be. This way, they can feel like, "Okay, please get this and that at the same time."
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
It’s certainly fun to be able to choose how you buy things.
Soma
Soma
As I mentioned earlier, we would like to increase the number of people purchasing our products every two weeks. For example, if demand for a certain product increases and production cannot keep up, we will prioritize delivery to regular customers.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
There was a time when I received salt every two weeks (laughs).
Soma
Soma
At first, everyone had the same accident (laughs). There were some people who were like, "We just keep getting more and more natto" (laughs).
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
It's written on the website, but we'll just have to spread the word as we go along.
Soma
Soma
Yes. We are sorting out those things during the pre-launch period.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
When it comes to rice, you can choose the exact amount you want to order. There are many options, such as "2 go, 12 go, 30 go" and "brown rice, 30% polished rice, 50% polished rice, 70% polished rice, white rice."
Soma
Soma
At first, we thought we would deliver rice that has been milled by the producers, but the rice inevitably deteriorates over the number of days since it was milled. It would be best to store brown rice in its husk, but this proved difficult, so we decided to store the rice as brown rice, and then mill it and send it when an order came in. This meant we had no choice but to mill the rice ourselves, so we gradually stocked up on rice milling sets in our warehouse.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Wow.
Soma
Soma
As I researched rice polishers, I found out that there isn't a button for something like "5-minute polishing," but rather you have to set it to a 20-level scale, determining how much polishing you need for a particular type of rice to be considered "5-minute polishing."
Another important thing is how much darkening you are willing to tolerate when sorting by color. If you are using slightly older rice, and you set the standards a little too strict, you may end up discarding around 30% of it. You also need to think about how much you want customers to understand about this darkening.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
That's great. At CAHLUMN STORE we also sell salami from Otis in Sumida Ward, and it's delicious. Also, I really like this mandarin orange juice from Table to Farm.
Soma
Soma
Thank you. When we started selling ham, bacon, and sausages, we started by looking at pigs. The farmer in Kumamoto, "Yamaai Village," has a pig called " Running Pig ," and we bought one of their pigs.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
The "Running Ham and Eggs" mentioned on the web refers to free-range eggs and a running pig.
Soma
Soma
That's right.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Recently, when I look at food-related topics on Instagram, I see posts from animal protection groups. When I see pigs and chickens being raised in really poor conditions, I feel bad.
Soma
Soma
That's the reality for the majority. Only about 0.1% of people are really particular about it. In reality, everyone should do this, but it's quite difficult.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
0.1% means 1 in 1000 people.
Soma
Soma
Yes, I think that's about right. I was told that the "Ise Asakusa Nori" that I mentioned earlier is now about 0.0001% of the total amount in circulation. Asakusa Nori used to be quite popular and was harvested in many places, but it was selected and almost extinct. I was told that Kuwana in Ise Bay, Mie is the only place that has inherited and cultivated the species and DNA. I don't think there are many free-range pigs either.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
I've never heard of it, except for cows.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
You showed us a documentary about cows before. Are you going to buy those cows soon?
Soma
Soma
Yes, we are currently raising several animals in Hokkaido. When it is time to ship them, we would like to make them available for purchase by our members.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Is that going to be sold as meat? Like for steaks?
Soma
Soma
That's right. We're talking about first selling it as fresh meat, because we think it would be a waste to process it.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
That's right.
Soma
Soma
I really think food is a world of trust.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I understand. In Japan, we buy vegetables and meat from overseas, don't we? They put medicine in them so they don't spoil before they get here. I think it's unreasonable to transport food over long distances in the first place.
Soma
Soma
I think so. They harvest the fruit before it has any flavor, soak it in preservatives, and let it ripen while moving it. But since there's no starting material, it's difficult no matter how much you try.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
The question is whether such a thing can be trusted.
Soma
Soma
There are things like ingredient labels, but that's something that can be easily manipulated. Once a product is processed, you don't have to display the previous ingredients.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Is it no longer okay to label products as "additive-free" these days?
Soma
Soma
It's like they want you to clearly state what is additive-free. So, for example, you can say that it does not use colorants or that it is additive-free. But you can't write everything, including other things, so in the end, you can't write "additive-free."
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I see. But I think it's better to write it down. We talked about whether we need to write it down on the menu because all the food in this restaurant is pesticide-free. But we only collect ingredients that we can write about, so we thought it would be a loss or strange not to write it down. There are other places that use ingredients that we don't really know. Also, it's because we're a clothing store. We want to do it properly because we're not a restaurant. Even if you want to eat good food, it's rare to be able to eat it, and especially in the past year or so, a lot of things have changed, so I think there's more anxiety about ingredients.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
You're right. I never thought rice would turn out like this.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
Nowadays, when you go out to eat, you don't know what kind of rice you'll get. There's always price competition, but I think it's better to spend your money at places that make quality products, rather than just judging them by the cheapest price possible. That way, even if the price is a little high, I think everyone will be able to keep their business going.
Soma
Soma
Farmers have a certain idea of frugality. Like, I have to limit my income to a certain amount. But I think that this is related to the situation where there are no people to take over the land and soil that they have cultivated with a lot of will and time. If they were making a profit by producing good vegetables, they would continue on.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I think there are a lot of young people these days who don't know what they're doing. I'd like to be able to help connect those kinds of people so that they can find a more meaningful environment, a good workplace, for example, as a farmer. If you decide where to work just because a certain company pays better, I don't think you'll be able to continue in that kind of job anyway. In the end, I think it's important to be interested in your work and how much value the workplace has. In that sense, I think farming is a great idea.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
"Table to Farm" also included an initiative where farmers participated in the preparation of mirin .
Soma
Soma
We've been doing mirin for two years in a row. This year, a chef volunteered to do it. He was thinking of going independent and wanted to see the brewing process, so he worked from morning to night for about two weeks. He was connected to us through the food genre, but I think that experience in a completely different industry can also be a source of nourishment. I think it would be interesting to see how someone in the fashion industry would be able to sublimate their experience if they learned about the culture of koji.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I really think that's so. So, if farmers like that get to know a little bit about the fashion world and realize that there are people who see things from a different perspective, I think it opens up different doors. People in the fashion world, for better or worse, have a certain "fashion" about them. They have a great nose for that, so one of their good points is that they can make judgments that aren't based on logic.
But most things in the world, especially in a male-dominated society, are based on logic, and that can lead to boredom. That's why the world of fashion is more interesting for women than for men. Women make decisions based on intuition alone. Men tend to get caught up in all sorts of things. If you get caught up in that, it becomes boring, so sometimes it's better to be able to judge something the moment you see it, like, "This is it!", rather than judging it as good or bad.
Soma
Soma
When you look at people who do agriculture, it's interesting because they can connect their intuition with the vegetables they produce. There are certain theories like organic and natural farming, but the soil is different for each farm, so everyone is mostly working in a world of imagination, but the results are clear when it comes to something that takes shape. So if you try it while looking at the numbers properly, I feel like there's a whole different world to explore. I think it's interesting to see the world of science being used in the next creation.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
By the way, the website for "Tablet to Farm" is also interesting. I think the matching of the manuscript and the photos is excellent.
Soma
Soma
Oh, really?
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
It would be different if the photos had too much of an earthy smell, so I think it's good that they're fairly dry. The photos of the farmers are clean and realistic, and the manuscript is also very appropriate.
Soma
Soma
I'm happy. Whenever I visit producers, I always talk to them for quite some time. I usually stay there for about 2 to 3 hours. So, I can only visit about 2 places a day, but I think that's quite important.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I think we are now living in an age where this kind of information is in demand. Previously, everyone was interested in the Nike Air Jordan, but now it’s becoming more and more like this.
Soma
Soma
No matter how many years we've been doing this, when we go to the site, we always find new information, so I think we can dig up information endlessly. I mentioned frugality earlier, but everyone is selling things pretty cheaply. So we're trying to get them to sell at a higher price together. Our sales power isn't that great yet, but in the current situation, even if the demand doubles, I don't think it will make much difference in the end.
The increase in the cost price needs to be properly reflected in the price. For example, you can't suddenly tell local people that the price is double, but you can tell customers more than 100 kilometers away that the price is double. I think it's necessary to loosen up farmers' sensibilities a little through things like that.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
It would be great if "Table to Farm" could convey that the food is delicious and worth the price.
Soma
Soma
That's right. The community with producers is really important when running a store, and " BEARD " in Unzen is a great example of that. It's like a nice cycle of supply and demand.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
That's right. It would be great if we could all go to a place where eating good ingredients is good for your body and your life. I think that in this day and age, it's all about money. Using ingredients provided by "Table to Farm" may be a little expensive, but there is meaning in it. A meaningful price. Of course, there may be people who can't pay that, but if you can, I think it's worth it.
It's not about simply buying and consuming cheap clothes, nor about buying and consuming ridiculously expensive clothes, but rather, I think it's important to include food and clothes in a proper life plan.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
I don't think this is limited to clothing and food, but the structure is the same. But I think food can be more intimate. Compared to clothing and food, I think there are more people interested in food.
Soma
Soma
You can eat, buy ingredients and make things yourself. It's like you have the right to participate in making things in a very casual way. The low barrier to entry is a feature, but what you choose at that time is very important. I think that using the best things little by little at a time, even if you don't have any skills, will definitely make things more interesting.
Houyhnhnm
Houyhnhnm
Just having the natto and kashirasu that I bought here in the fridge made me feel a little excited.
Soma
Soma
I'm happy. It seems like everyone is trying to let it sit a little longer, or starting some other mysterious challenge (laughs). I think that means it's already "started."
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
We talked about salt earlier, and in the past, people would say that if you ate too much, you would develop high blood pressure, but now it's actually better to eat a lot of salt, which is rich in minerals. So it's important to know a lot of things for yourself. That way, you can be healthier and enjoy eating more.
Soma
Soma
That's right. There's so much information out there these days, so it's a waste to just receive it and swallow it whole. I think the most shallow information is the one that's out there. Also, if the food is naturally balanced, even if you take in a little too much, your body will function to eliminate it. But if things accumulate in a way that makes your body lose its ability to eliminate them, that won't happen. In that sense, what you eat is really important.
Hasegawa
Hasegawa
I really think so.
INFORMATION
Table to Farm
Opening date: July 25, 2025 Format: Membership-based online supermarket Membership fee: From 5,500 yen (tax included)
"Simple Taste" Contribution: 220 yen (tax included) / 2 weeks
Table to Farm Opening Special Event : Enjoy the "Simple Tastes" of Nishi-Ogikubo Organ's Chef Konno
